What Makes Christian Fiction Christian Fiction?

There are a lot of theories out there on what makes a certain book fit into the Christian fiction category. Is it that it’s been written by a Christian author? Is it that it’s been published by a Christian publishing house? Is it that the message of Christianity is found somewhere within the pages?

There are a lot of theories out there on what makes a certain book fit into the Christian fiction category. Is it that it’s been written by a Christian author? Is it that it’s been published by a Christian publishing house? Is it that the message of Christianity is found somewhere within the pages?

Well, I think a lot of the answer has to do with who is asking the question. Some people could answer yes to any and all of the above questions within their definition. Others have broader or narrower definitions.

So first, let’s tackle whether or not it has be written by a Christian author. For me, this is a no-brainer and a really tough question. If the author isn’t Christian, then how is that author going to authentically write from a Christian perspective? Worldview always creeps into what an artist produce. When it comes to writing, we write from who we are, plain and simple. The tough part is in knowing if the author really is a Christian. There is something we can only know as we read the pages, get to know the author’s life, and in the end, probably won’t know until Christ calls us all home. So, although we can make our guesses based on the fruit the tree produces, we should always remain analytical and gracious.

What about the need for a Christian publisher? Well, most research I have done finds people feel that if the writer has a Christian worldview then that can make it a Christian novel. It does not have to be published under a publishing house that is a part of the Christian Book Association to be a Christian novel. If we insist it is so, then we miss a lot of great Christian authors out there, like C. S. Lewis and Katherine Paterson.

Finally, what about the message? After interviewing a few Christian authors, the thing I hear most is that a message of hope has to be the main thrust of the book. The gospel does not have to be in the book, although some books do have it within its pages. Hope, though, is such a natural part of our Christian worldview that it should flow naturally into our writings. There can be many trails and troubles, and not everything should tie up in a neat package (because unless we’re writing fantasy when does that ever happen in real life?). But, there should be a closing feeling of hope–even if it's just a tendril of hope to cling to.

So, there are my opinions/research on Christian fiction. What are yours?